Operating Systems Analysis Paper
There are many operating systems that are common on the Internet today. Back when computers could only handle one command at a time, in the 1950’s, was very time consuming.
Now, about sixty years later, a computer’s operating system can handle many applications at one time while delivering speed and is user friendly. Although there are many Operating Systems that are available, there are onle a few of them that are well knon and is commonly used. Some of the most common Operating Systems that are used on the Internet are the Windows platforms such as Windows XP, Sun Solaris, UNIX, Apple, and Linux Apache.
A DNS (Domain Name System) system is what powers the Internet that we use to browse.
It is responsible for turning domain names into IP addresses and locating them on a hosting server. However, a DNS server is the physical representation of the DNS system. DNS servers are organized in a hierarchical order that communicate with each other through private network protocols. There are master servers that are commonly known as the root servers. These root servers store the entire database of the donmain names on the Internet and the IP addresses that go with the domain names.
The next level of DNS servers, the lower-level, maintains a part of the total database of the domains and IP addresses that are owned by businesses like Insight Communications and Comcast Communications in my area.
These are called Internet Service Providers, or ISP’s (What is DNS, 2010) A DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a network protocol which facilitates a server to dispence an IP address to a computer from a distinct array of numbers for a network automatically. Using DHCP to dynamically assign an IP address will minimize the conflict of when two computers are configured with the same IP address.
When that happens, it creates a clash and the user may lose sevice (What is DHCP, 2010) Comcast’s, my ISP, high speed Internet service will work on both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. For Comcast, they prefer that you have Windows 2000 OS or newer version, such as Windows XP, in order to be compatible with their sevices. I have Windows XP which runs great with the high speed Internet. I have a router that handles my transfers between my computer and my Internet Service Provider.
A router is a device that receives the information and forwards it, in the best route available, to the ISP.
I think there are hundreds, if not thousands, of switches because a switch allows for several users to send information and data over the Internet. This allows for many users to send information all at the same time without slowing the network traffic. Comcast has hundreds of users in our area and if there were no switches to control the traffic, there would not be any high speed Internet. It would be slow and full of information being routed to different users. UNIX is a computer operating system that was developed by AT&T and is most poplular with scientist, engineers, and school societies.
UNIX has the ability to multi-task and is multi-user friendly, along with the flexibility and portability capabilities for emailing and networking. There are six fundamental commands with UNIX. Commands are the orders that the user guves the computer on what to do. Files are the collections of data that are given filenames. Directories contain many files and other directories.
Environment is the collection of items that modify or describe how the computing session will be carried out. Process is a command or application running on the computer.
Lastly, job is the sequence of instructions that are given to the computer (What is UINX, 2010). A student named Linus Torvalds created the Linux operating system while he was in attendance at the University of Helsinki in Finland. He designed the system in 1991 which was version 0. 02 and in 1994 he released the Linux Kernal 1.
0 version. Linux is the next rank with the Unix and Microsoft operating systems. It only took about twenty years for the general public to adopt the Linux system as there server platform. The current version is 2. that was released nearly seven years ago in 2003.
The operating system itself can be used in the home or small office and is continuing to rise to popularity (What is Linux, 2008). Windows began in 1985, version 1. 0 and was the very first Windows operating system. Back then, computers were slow and were not able to multitask like we do now. in the 1990’s, Windows bagan to be used in the office environment even though there were still no Internet services. Nearly ten years later, Windows were used in almost all businesses and not so much in the homes.
With the Windows 95 version, the home user was able to dail-up to the Internet. That set forth the business use of computers and the business environment. By the time that the Windows Windows XP became available, computers were widely used all over the world. This version took care of the basic needs of all home and office use by being fast, reliable, and secure (The History of Microsoft Window’s Early Operating Systems, 2010).
